Arc Testing Of Foam Line Hard Hats
ASTM Committee F18 on Electrical Protective Equipment for Workers is developing a new arc exposure test method for hard hats – in part due to concerns in the industry that the foam inside insulated hard hats can melt and/or ignite. Recently, Oberon conducted arc tests on Type 2, Class E hard hats with foam liners. For arc flash protection, hard hats are worn with an arc rated face shield or an arc rated hood with a shield window. In the NFPA 70E Hazard/Risk Categories (HRC) 1, 2 and 2-star designated for incident energy levels from 1.2 to 8 cal/cm2, hard hats are equipped with an arc rated face shield. For HRC3 and HRC4, designated for incident energies above 8 cal/cm2 and up to 40 cal/cm2, arc rated hoods are required.